Hello all, I'm a newbie. I really know nothing about bikes.

I am looking for something to primarily ride around New York City with. Basically my ultimate goal is to eliminate public transportation as much as possible. With that said, I don't want anything too complicated, and I doubt I will need anything too exotic or high-end. I don't need an incredibly fast bike for speed either.

I am looking for something entry-level. I am thinking a hybrid bike, maybe a road bike. Although I would probably be more comfortable riding a bit more upright, and I would like to be open to the possibility of riding off-road on rare occasions.

After talking a buddy of mine about it. He suggested I get a very simple single-speed or fixed gear road bike.

In terms of my cycling experience. I have an old S&M BMX bike that I used to use for cruising around and a short stint as a delivery boy when I was a college student (it was also the bike that actually learned how to ride on).

The bottom line is that I don't want to buy complete crap. And I want to keep my budget around $500, so I'd like to get the most bang for my buck. But also, since I'm not an experienced cyclist, so I wouldn't know a good ride from a bad one.

I checked around the local bike shops (still have more shops to check out). Here's what some of the employees suggested to me:

Fat Cycles (I actually couldn't even find a website or any info on the internet about this brand) for $420

Pure Fix for $420

Redline 925 (they didn't have it at the shop but suggested I look into it)

KHS Urban Soul for $400

Felt Brougham for $550

Right now, I am leaning towards the Felt Brougham. But I would like to hear some input and suggestions, since I know nothing about bikes.

I am open to buying over the internet. But I realize I would actually rather like to be able to test ride a potential bike before I consider buying it.